#WorldMentalHealthDay
October 2021
In this Issue:



  • Additional Mental Health Resources

  • What's Happening Around the Region?
  • Logic Model Technical Assistance
  • Methamphetamine Use: What are the Data Telling Us?, October 26
  • Ditching the Discomfort with Data Series: Part One Overview, November 18
Mental Health Care For All: Let’s Make It A Reality

By The South Southwest Mental Health Technology Transfer Center
and the South Southwest Prevention Technology Transfer Center

October 10 was World Mental Health Day and this year’s theme is: Mental Health Care For All: Let’s Make It A Reality! The pandemic has created new challenges for maintaining mental wellness and ongoing shortages in the behavioral health workforce make it difficult to meet the ongoing and increased need for mental health care. As we strive to make mental wellness and mental health care a reality for all, we can continue to support our traditional mental health care providers and highlight professionals not often included in workforce projections but who play important roles in the mental well-being of individuals, schools, and communities. We can all play a role in making mental health a reality for all.

Read more about ways prevention professionals and others can take part in World Mental Health Day.
Epi Corner: Focusing on the Mental Health and Service Needs of Vulnerable Populations
By Iris Smith, Ph.D., M.P.H.
Recent epidemiological studies of mental health symptoms and service needs have reported an increase in mental health symptoms and need for services during the pandemic.These studies highlight the need for ongoing real time tracking of outcomes within demographic groups to identify emerging disparities and social, cultural, and environmental conditions that may contribute to them. Read the article and view additional resources
Additional Resources: Mental Health
South Southwest MHTTC

While facing the challenges of these times, leaders may notice that almost everyone is either overwhelmed or on the edge of overwhelm. This webinar recording will dive deeply into understanding overwhelm, set in the context of current world challenges, and will explore the proactive strategies leaders can use to help themselves and their teams recover from overwhelm.
Support for Serious Mental Illness | Real Stories
SAMHSA

Support and connections are critical for those living with a serious mental illness (SMI). Learn from people with lived experience how their support systems and connections help them manage their major depressive disorder, bipolar disorder, and schizophrenia. To learn more about serious mental illness, and the possibility of recovery, visit samhsa.gov/serious-mental-illness
Share These Important Resources on Social Media
#WorldMentalHealthDay
FindTreatment.gov
SAMHSA's National Helpline
Suicide Prevention Lifeline
What's Happening Around the Region?
South Southwest PTTC Training
Access FREE Logic Model Technical Assistance
Go to our website to learn more about who is eligible and how to submit a request. Requests will be accepted until November 1, 2021.
October 26 at 10:00 a.m. - 11:30 a.m. CT
Session 1: Nov. 18 10 a.m. - 11:30 a.m. CT
Watch our website for
future events
Download resources
from our website
View past training from
our YouTube channel
NASADAD 2021 Celebrates Leaders in the Field
On Thursday, September 23rd, the National Association of State Alcohol and Drug Abuse Directors (NASADAD) held their annual awards event to recognize members and leaders in the substance use disorder field.  

Congratulations to Kirk Lane of Arkansas and Janice Williams of Louisiana for your great work!
Kirk Lane, State Alcohol/Drug Agency Director, Arkansas

Awarded the Ramstad/Kennedy Award for Leadership Related to Recovery Month presented by the Recovery Month Planning Partners.
Janice Williams, Ph.D., State Alcohol/Drug Agency Director, Louisiana

Awarded the State Service Award which is awarded to a state director who has demonstrated outstanding leadership in their respective state. 

Share these free online courses provided by the Prevention Technology Transfer Center.

Working Virtually with Youth Prevention Leaders

In this 1.5 - hour video course, you will learn how to engage youth prevention leaders in the virtual setting to address substance misuse prevention. By the end of this course, participants will gain an understanding of tools for communicating safely and effectively with youth, virtual project planning tools and techniques to build youth buy-in, and ways to foster youth development virtually.

Informing Prevention: Adolescent 6-Part Series

  • Part 1: Understanding Adolescent Development
  • Part 2: Effectively Engaging Adolescents in Interventions
  • Part 3: Effective use of Epidemiological Data
  • Part 4: Effectively Using Technology for School-Based Prevention
  • Part 5: The Effects of Drug use on Adolescent Brain Development
  • Part 6: Vaping Among Adolescents
New from SAMHSA


The goal of this guide is to review the literature on prevention of marijuana use among youth, distill the research into recommendations for practice, and provide examples of the ways these recommendations can be implemented. Released October 2021